It’s Potty Time!

I think I will be adding a new category to the blog today. “Potty Time” has arrived at the Doran household. Well, sort of. I have held off on blogging about potty training, because KC is only 19 months. That’s still pretty young to be in serious training mode. However, we bought a little potty a few weeks ago and, as of last night, she has pooped in it about 3 times.

This is Ted and I everytime this happens: “Yeaaaa! You pooped in the potty! Yeaaaaa!”

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Sidenote: It’s funny how first marriage, and then parenthood will completely eradicate any past embarrassment you may have felt about discussing intestinal “issues” in depth in front of other people.

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Ok, ok. Let me back up for all you seasoned parents who are like. “Yeah. Right. You’ve potty trained a one and half year old. As if!”

She’s not really telling us she needs to go potty. She might occasionally show interest in sitting on the little pot for no apparent reason, but it isn’t because she knows she has to go. Right now it’s just a novelty to her. A little chair that sits in the bathroom instead of the living room. What made us buy the potty was the fact that she took to occasionally pooping while in the bath. Ew.

Actually, I’m surprised that little habit took so long to surface. (Pardon the pun.) The first time it happened it caught both her Dad and I off guard. Each of us were lucky enough to be present for it once before it became common knowledge between the two of us. Once we knew the signs (sudden stillness, little bubbles coming up…) we knew to lift her out and put her on the throne.

The first time I tried this maneuver on the adult toilet, some went in the tub and some made it into the pot. (You have to be quick.) The end result if any “escapees” get left behind is still to end bath time, gather up all toys, put them in the dishwasher and then scrub the tub. It may be baby poop, but it’s still poop. One must be careful and clean when dealing with poop.

Now we’ve gotten better at whisking her up and over to the potty in the nick of time. Last night she did it, with some protestation, and her Dad and I cheered and cheered. I even went so far as to show her the poop, right before I flushed it away. I want her to understand that “This is such a good thing, this poop in the little bucket!”

I realize this is just the very first step on a VERY long road. I don’t expect her to wake up tomorrow and suddenly understand that every time she has to “go” is time to run to the bathroom. I’ve already read some about potty training and I understand it takes a lot of time and patience. Not to mention a lot of soiled clothes and bedding.

I guess all we should do at this early stage is watch for the signs and take opportunities to put her on the “hot seat” as much as we can. Eventually, I suppose it starts to sink in, right? I don’t even want to think about how often she pees in the tub.